Human 2.0

This story honestly surprised me. Not because it’s about scientists cloning a large animal, heck that’s positively mundane these days, but because it took place in Iran. Yes, that’s right Iran. The country where morality police can arrest you for wearing “inappropriate” clothing is working on cloning and stem cell research. Needless to say, Iran is one of the last countries on Earth I would have expected to find an advanced stem cell and cloning program but not only is it flourishing it apparently has the financial backing of the government and the blessing of Iran’s religious authority, though human reproductive cloning is still forbidden. Still, I suppose the potential to become a regional biotech powerhouse trumps any religious hang-ups Iran’s government may have.